Microlearning has become trendy, but it’s much more than a buzz phrase; it’s an opportunity for organizations to engage their staff in training and capacity building. This type of learning is informal and formal and distinguished by its just-in-time quality, which means that new material can be disseminated and learned company wide. Microlearning formats include everything from webinars to short courses. These formats, coupled with the newest technology, have made microlearning easy to access, efficient and flexible to customization.
This new wave in learning is proving to be extremely effective. That’s because it is based on new findings about cognitive processes that indicate higher order thinking such as analyzing, evaluating and creating do not require extended educational experiences. This is especially true if one is already on the job or in the field and/or is working from a strong foundation of knowledge. Instead, microlearning is based on brief but intensive practices. Pedagogical approaches for instruction include the fact that information relevant to their work roles in the immediate future (in the next year) is most effectively transmitted through microlearning (Emerson and Berge, 2018).
How Microlearning Can Benefit Contractors
The construction industry can use microlearning in its total project lifecycle and for all stakeholders involved. Currently, there are products that offer the ability for companies to create their own short courses on everything from safety to leadership. Construction technology firms offer webinars and trainings. They are even taking advantage of user conferences as a way to connect users to deeper training in hands-on labs and workshops. This goes beyond just chunking or grouping information. Topics are specific to needs and timing of such learning is usually spaced out in what is known as distributed practice. The burden of learning is lighter because learners do not have to commit weeks or months to the process. Similarly, companies can create or participate in learning that happens over one afternoon, or several times over the course of three to 12 months with modules occurring monthly or bi-monthly.
When microlearning is thought out and intentional, it can have better outcomes. Some organizations use a series of quizzes to provide baseline and progress metrics to see if learning is occurring. Construction executives should think about learning as a part of their overall business strategy. This will determine the type of microlearning opportunities that may be offered to different teams for specialized learning or overall learning for the company as whole. For instance, safety is an area in which learning must be companywide. However, in most cases, microlearning opportunities will be specialized through the instruction of subject matter experts and domain experts. This is true for new information and refresher courses.
How to Start
Companies can work up to full microlearning programs but there are easy ways to start. For instance, weekly blogs or newsletters can provide small bursts of information and learning. While most organizations have blogs, they are usually outward facing and used as marketing tools. This doesn’t mean that a company needs to reinvent the wheel. On the contrary, existing blog posts can be shared with staff. This type of method works best if a feedback or communication method is incorporated. Along the same lines, the use of social media can also be effective if directed such as articles on Twitter or LinkedIn (Grevtseva, Willems and Adachi, 2017). In all of these options, being able to create and include storytelling is powerful. This not only allows people in the organization to gain new insights and skills but provides them with deeper understanding of their work. This is because storytelling is relational and, therefore, interactive. Developing stories can then lead into case studies and business cases that add the layer of clients and partners. This storytelling can be included in these examples but also in more formal learning areas.
Microlearning is best implemented through the use of proven technologies such as technologies email and calendars. Once a training schedule is set up, other technologies including smart calendaring can provide reminders not just of training times but also offers supplementary and supportive materials. Platforms that use live conferencing and virtual classroom environments can be used to create live or recorded interactive sessions where learners feel they are part of the process and engaged with the material. While multimedia is a strong tool, the addition of technology raises the possibilities exponentially. For instance, one construction equipment firm uses virtual and augmented reality to teach safety to its employees without having to risk their safety during the learning process. An electrical firm also uses these methods such as the use of Microsoft Hololens to teach their employees electrical processes.
With the construction industry changing and the centrality of technology in every project more and more necessary, the need to educate and train is paramount. Luckily, this learning trend coincides with organizations having an influx of millennials who believe that learning is a never-ending process and method. Research shows that for millennials, microlearning is almost second nature. They listen to podcasts, they participate in online polling and look for ways to increase their learning in the workplace. Providing microlearning opportunities also offers concrete ways for staff to feel ownership and understanding of the organization. Most importantly, it is can help be a reminder and serve as reinforcement of the company’s why.
